From Music in Cincinnati

A Milestone Year for CCM

Posted in: Archives

By Mary Ellyn Hutton
Nov 1, 1991 - 2:53:09 PM

(first published in The Cincinnati Post Nov. 1, 1991)

Tennessee Ernie Ford burnished his baritone there.

Suzanne Farrell polished her plies there.

Al Hirt warmed up his trumpet there.

These are just a few pages in the history of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Familiarly known as CCM, the College-Conservatory is about to celebrate a birthday, and everyone's invited: 1992 is CCM's 125th anniversary, and the school is planning a year-long observance.

"It'll be a wonderful time to discover or rediscover CCM," said dean Robert J. Werner. "If you've never made that trip up Calhoun Street, it's worth the effort."

The inaugural event will be a Jan. 23 concert by the Philharmonia Orchestra, guest-conducted by Cincinnati Symphony music director Jesus Lopez- Cobos. CCM faculty composer Darrell Handel's "Kyushu" will be premiered, and Lopez-Cobos will conduct DeFalla's "Nights in the Gardens of Spain" and "The Three-Cornered Hat" Suites 1 and 2.

The actual birthday celebration will be in October 1992.

There will be an alumni reunion and a gala performance, most likely featuring some of CCM's younger alumni, Werner said.

Expect some kind of inauguration of CCM's planned physical expansion then, too, he said. CCM has requested $12 million from the state to begin new construction and renovation of its building complex on the Clifton campus.

The kickoff and the alumni gala recall the dual ancestry of CCM, created by the merger of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and the College of Music of Cincinnati in 1955 (CCM became a part of UC in 1962).

The October gala will commemorate the 1867 founding of the Conservatory, the older of the two schools (the College of Music was founded in 1878).

The January concert will celebrate CCM's close ties with the CSO, whose founding conductor, Frank van der Stucken, was also dean of the College of Music.

Each month during 1992 there will be a designated anniversary event or events highlighting a facet of CCM, among them a "Hot Summer Nights" reunion of stars, a national symposium on theater costumes and makeup, an international clarinet conference and the "Feast of Carols" 100th- anniversary concert (see Page 3C).

CCM has much to celebrate as it enters another milestone year, Werner said.

There has been a "strengthening in all areas of the college, not only music, but drama, dance and electronic media." CCM is unique among music schools in combining these four areas, he said. "I don't know of another school that has this configuration and is developing the interaction that we are. There's really nothing like it."

In his six years at CCM, Werner has put a special emphasis on arts technology.

In 1989 a Performing and Media Arts Center was established at CCM to serve as an umbrella for research and development in the applications of technology to the performing arts. CCM has also received an Eminent Scholar grant from the Ohio Board of Regents and named pianist James Tocco to the post this fall to provide artistic leadership for an expanded chamber-music program.

What he's "proudest of," Werner said, "is that we have a congenial, collegial faculty and administration who are working for the good of the entire college.

It's is not just an opera school any longer. It's the orchestra, the choruses, the Wind Symphony. Each group is working to gain the recognition of their profession."

And that recognition is taking place. CCM is one of only three schools invited to present operas at Lincoln Center's Mozart celebrations (the others are Juilliard and Indiana Unversity).

The Ensemble for 18th-Century Music has been invited to England, the Wind Symphony to Japan. The Philharmonia Orchestra "could go about anytime anywhere. It's just a matter of expenses," Werner said.

"People think it's just PR boilerplate, but indeed this is an internationally known faculty and an international student body."

CCM's message during its anniversary year, said Werner: "We're here. Come on over."

CCM: Thumbnail sketch

Here's a quick look at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music:

FOUNDED in 1867 as Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Became CCM when Cincinnati Conservatory merged with College of Music of Cincinnati in 1955. A part of the University of Cincinnati since 1962.

ENROLLMENT is 1,200 students in collegiate program; 1,800 in preparatory programs. Faculty: 129, including 33 part-time. Dean is Robert J. Werner.

DIVISIONS ARE Broadcasting; Dance; Ensembles and Conducting; Keyboard; Music Education; Opera, Musical Theater, Drama and Arts Administration; Performance Studies; and Theory, Composition, Music History and Literature. More than 100 degree programs. Preparatory Department offers lessons and classes for children and adults.

CONSIDERED one of top conservatories in the country. Ensemble-in-residence: Tokyo String Quartet.

Once upon a time CCM was two schools

Founded by Miss Clara Baur in 1867, the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music was the first. Part ladies' finishing school, part high-powered conservatory, the school was situated for much of its existence in the old Shillito mansion at Highland and Oak streets in Corryville.

The rival College of Music of Cincinnati was founded in 1878 by George Ward Nichols and Reuben Springer, prime movers of the May Festival, and was situated close to Music Hall.

"It's like Cincinnati to go at it with both barrels like that," said Eleanor Allen, a 1933 graduate of the Conservatory who later worked for the College of Music and for CCM. "They had marvelous faculty at both places," she said.

In 1955 the schools merged, and in 1962 CCM became a part of the University of Cincinnati.

"The Conservatory was especially strong in opera," said Jack Watson, a 1930 Conservatory graduate who served as CCM dean from 1963-1974.

"The College was, I think, much stronger in orchestra instruments, particularly in strings," said Watson. "And broadcasting was an innovation of the College." The nation's first collegiate program in radio broadcasting was begun there in 1936.

These traditions enrich CCM today. As for the rivalry, you can still find partisans for one school or the other, said CCM Assistant Dean Martha Crabtree. "But it's in fun now, really."

Famous alumni: CCM stars shine
Singing Brunnhilde in Wagner's "Ring" cycle at Germany's Bayreuth Festival this year was soprano Deborah Polaski, a CCM alumna. Here are some other CCM alumni who have reached the top of their profession:

-- soprano Kathleen Battle. Opera diva, multiple Grammy-winner.

-- Suzanne Farrell, one of the century's great ballerinas.

-- trumpet legend Al Hirt.

-- the late Tennessee Ernie Ford, TV and singing star.

-- Metropolitan Opera soprano Barbara Daniels and the late tenor John Alexander.

-- Broadway stars Lee Roy Reams, Pamela Myers, Bill Nolte and Teresa Bowers.

-- Earl Hamner Jr., creator of TV's "The Waltons."

-- pianist Anton Nel, winner of the 1987 Naumburg Competition.

-- TV and film star Dorian Harewood.

-- violinist Alyssa Park, bronze medalist in the 1990 Tchaikovsky Competition.

Some of opera's brightest young stars are CCM alumni: tenor Stanford Olsen, sopranos Blythe Walker and Lynda Keith, baritones Richard Zeller and Mark Oswald, all of whom have debuted at the Metropolitan Opera.

Musical-theater luminaries include Maureen Brenna, Kim Criswell, James Graae and Jim Walton.

Anniversary events elebrating CCM

Each month during 1992 a designated anniversary event or events will highlight one of the many facets of CCM. Among them:

-- Feb. 13-16: Mozart's "Zaide" (to be performed as part of the Mozart bicentennial celebrations at New York's Lincoln Center March 12).

-- Feb. 28, 29: Mozart liturgical concert (previewing performance by the Philharmonia and CCM choral ensembles at Lincoln Center March 13).

-- April 5: Guitarist Oscar Ghiglia, celebrating the 20th-anniversary of CCM's classical-guitar program.

-- April 23-26: Shakespeare's "Richard III."

-- May 14-17: Massenet's "Cendrillon" ("Cinderella").

-- July or August: "Hot Summer Nights" reunion of stars.

-- July 16-19: International Clarinet Conference.

-- Aug. 16: U.S. Institute of Theater Technology Symposium on Costumes and Makeup.

-- Oct. 3: U.S. Air Force Band (special commission).

-- Oct. 10: Alumni gala.

-- Oct. 13: Special Tokyo String Quartet.

-- Dec. 5-6. "Feast of Carols" 100th-anniversary concert.

-- To be announced. A special musical-theater production in November and a dance-division program in December.

On tap at school: A look at upcoming season

There were more than 800 events at CCM in 1990-91, including concerts, lectures, recitals and stage productions. Here's what's happening this season (for tickets and information about CCM events, call 556-4183):

Philharmonia Orchestra, Gerhard Samuel conductor
All concerts at 8 p.m. at Corbett Auditorium except Nov. 24, which is 3 p.m. at St. Peter-in-Chains Cathedral. Admission $5. Nov. 24 free.

-- Nov. 2. Lazarof Cello Concerto (premiere). Mozart. Richard Strauss.

-- Nov. 24. Earl Rivers, guest conductor. CCM Chamber Choir. Bach. Handel, "Israel in Egypt."

-- Jan. 23. Jesus Lopez-Cobos, guest conductor. Bach/DeFotis, Darrell Handel (premieres). DeFalla.

-- Feb. 22. Stravinsky. Mozart, Debussy. Schoenberg.

-- Feb. 28-29. Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra I. Mozart bicentennial liturgical concert. Elmer Thomas, guest conductor.

-- March 7. Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra II. Brouwer. Lutoslawski. Copland. Udell (world premiere).

-- April 16: Waite, Morill (premieres). Dvorak. Shostakovich.

-- June 6: Thome. Tchaikovsky. Ravel.

Tokyo String Quartet
8 p.m. Corbett Auditorium. $10, $5 (all seats reserved).

-- Jan. 21. Beethoven. Bartok. Schubert.

-- April 7. Mozart. Janacek. Beethoven.

Feast of Carols
7 p.m. Corbett Auditorium. $3-$5.

-- Dec. 7, 8. CCM choral ensembles, Concert Orchestra.

Percussion Group
8 p.m. Corbett Auditorium. $6. Jan. 28 free.

-- Jan. 14. Cage retrospective.

-- Jan. 28. Ives. Free

-- April 14. Dance music by Qu Xiao Song.

Opera, Theater, Drama
Times vary. Series subscriptions, $66-$72. Two operas, musicals or dramas, $28-$30.

-- Thursday-Nov. 3. Bergman/Ibsen, "Nora." Patricia Corbett Theater.

-- Nov. 20-24. Sondheim, Lapine, "Into the Woods." Corbett Auditorium.

-- Feb. 13-16. Mozart, "Zaide." Patricia Corbett Theater.

-- Feb. 27-March 8. Ulvaeus, Anderson, Rice. "Chess." Patricia Corbett Theater.

-- April 23-26. Shakespeare, "Richard III." Patricia Corbett Theater.

-- May 14-17. Massenet, "Cendrillon." Corbett Auditorium.

Jazz
7 p.m. Corbett Auditorium except Nov. 10, May 3 and May 17, which are at Patricia Corbett Theater. $5.

-- Nov. 10. Big-band Jazz.

-- Feb. 2. Big-band Jazz, faculty guest artists.

-- March 1. A Tribute to the Duke.

-- April 12. Jazz Festival.

-- May 3. Jazz Potpourri.

-- May 17. Tribute to Oscar Treadwell.

Wind Symphony, Eugene Corporon, conductor
8 p.m. Corbett Auditorium. $5.

-- Dec. 3. Accent on Women.

-- Jan. 30. 'Red, White and New."

-- March 12. "A Few Strings Attached."

-- April 23. Songs and Dances.

-- June 4. "Fusion Finale."